MIRNEWS.488 – 11 Jan 2001

The freighter Progress-M1-5 will be launched from Baykonur on 18.01.2001 at 0656UTC for a flight to the MIR-space station. The docking is planned on 22.01.2001 at 0750UTC.

This freighter has enough fuel on board for the de-orbit operation of the MIR-complex late February – begin March.

The Pr-M1-5 has to approach and dock in the automatic mode by the Kurs system. If this operation will fail a Soyuz-TM ship is ready to bring a crew to the complex and from inside execute the docking operation by remote control (TORU) the docking operation.

More analyses of the telemetric data lead to other conclusions about the cause of the failure on 26.12.2001. This time a malfunctioning of the analogue attitude control system BUPO was mentioned. This system controls the verniers and the external thruster VDU (control of movements along the X-axis). Before the failure of the telemetry communications the complex was in the so called free drift, so moving in a very slow spin. The BUPO has to stabilize the complex, for instance to get a better effect of the solar panels or to move into an attitude for the activation of the digital movements control, to switch on the Main Computer Ts.V.M.-1, and the movements control system SUD after which the 11 or 12 gyrodynes can be started.

Meanwhile the BUPO has succeeded in stabilizing the station and consequently the Main Computer, the attitude control and the gyrodynes are functioning. So in the passed few days these systems control the movements and in this way the station is ready for the reception of the freighter or the ship for an extra manned mission.

Telemetry transmissions can be monitored around 638.093 mc and also with very strong signals in the 166 and 165 mc bands. This takes place during passes of the MIR-station over Western Europe approx 2 or 3 minutes before the end of the pass.

C.M. van den Berg, NL-9165/A-UK 3202.